1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high strength light-weight ceramic insulator and a method for manufacture thereof wherein the light-weight ceramic insulator may be used at a high temperature by employing a thermal resistant ceramic fiber.
2. Description of the Background Art
A ceramic insulator using a conventional ceramic fiber has improved mechanical strength and physical property by utilizing a large amount of an organic/inorganic binder or filler. In this case, a density of the ceramic insulator is increased due to large amount of binder used. Accordingly, the conventional ceramic insulator cannot be used for the products requiring superior thermal and mechanical properties at a low density. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,054; 4,174,331; 4,650,775; and 4,737,326)
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a high strength light-weight ceramic insulator which have good physical properties at a low density with only a small amount of a binder, by selectively controlling and concentrating an organic/inorganic binder on a contact point between fibers.
In order to achieve the above-described object of the present invention, there is provided a high strength light-weight ceramic insulator comprising: alumina-silica-based ceramic fibers containing zirconia; and organic and inorganic binders concentrated on a contact point between the fibers.
There is also provided a method for fabricating a high strength light-weight ceramic insulator, comprising the steps of: forming ceramic fibers by using silica, alumina and zirconia; making a slurry by adding organic and inorganic binders to the ceramic fibers; molding the slurry in vacuum to form ceramic fibers; drying the ceramic fibers; and heating the dried ceramic fibers.
The present invention will become better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings which are given only by way of illustration and thus are not limitative of the present invention, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a scanning electron microscope photograph showing a ceramic insulator in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a high-magnification scanning electron microscope photograph showing the ceramic insulator in accordance with the present invention; and
FIG. 3 is a scanning electron microscope photograph showing a conventional ceramic insulator.